Better zip ties and other materials for making life better.

auraslip

auraslip

10 MW
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Mar 5, 2010
Messages
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I've used a bunch, and they all seem to get brittle over time. Especially in cold weather, or when used to hold a hot 10w resistor to a PC PSU.

Is there a "good" brand? I tried both the cheap stuff and the lowes stuff. Lowes stuff was much better, but still got weaker after 6 months. This won't work for holding fenders in place on suspension forks with out fender mounts.


Also, feel free to post about any such product, for example: I got some velcro and a digital timer/clock off ebay.



Solves a problem that's always bugged me, which is the CA not having a clock. And it was only $2. The velcro says "3M" on it, but I doubt it is; the glue isn't as strong as the velcro and comes undone. Oh well. Superglue is cheap and easy.

Also, there are tons of ridiculously priced velcro strips out there. Like 8 colored straps for $5. F that! I got a roll of 50 from wal-mart for like $4. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Velcro-50pk-Rip-Tie-Cable-Ties-Black-Gray/16517608
They're so cheap you can use them like zip ties!

Does anyone know where I can get green, yellow, and blue heat shrink?
 
What size?

How about this... http://www.amazon.com/Ancor-304506-Electrical-Adhesive-Diameter/dp/B000NI077A/ref=pd_sim_sg7
 
Zip ties just don't seem to be made as well nowadays; even the ones made by brand-name companies. I have zipties that came from IBM teletype repair kits, probably from the early 70s, and they last longer even in the AZ sun than anythign I have tried made today. I suspect that there is not enough "plasticizer" and/or UV resistant add-ins, and that causes the eventual brittleness.

Newer ones, regardless of maker labelled on them, don't last in the sun, and many types can't even be initially tightened very far without ripping out hte little ratchet tab. :roll:


The sticky on velcro varies a lot. I have 3M velcro that's probably at least 15 years old, and it's sticky is still good, though in the direct sun it can get unsticky enough to let go if there is a sufficient pulling force against it on a large surface area, espeically with a twisting force added, depending on the surface it is adhered to.

When I use it stuck to itself as a strap, though (hook and loop attached to each other's sticky), it does not come unstuck in any situation--the velcro part lets loose first (and it's pretty strong).


Newer velcro, even by 3M, sometimes is really good like the above, and sometimes is simply terrible. Seems to be a great lot-to-lot variation, as it's the same package type, whenever I have gotten it new for other people's projects.


I do not know any good solutions for either problem.
 
Zipties really have become crap lately. There was a time when a ziptie was something you could really trust to hold something pretty damn securely for many years. Now I snap them just installing them half the time, or they just become brittle and break in a matter of months.


The Zipties/cable ties you find on OEM vehicles are generally extremely strong and stay that way for many many years.

The packs I buy at homedepot are so bad I generally just throw them away to avoid a costly failure from using the damn things.
 
The white cable ties (or zip ties) are not UV stabilised. Get the black ones, they last heaps longer, or if you want something that really lasts, get the stainless steel ones... Probably more use if you are using some really big cables (like 20Kw RF coax) - but even the big black cable ties last OK for a good 7 years in the Australian sun - even in a sattelite dish for the LNB (close to the focal point).
 
heathyoung said:
The white cable ties (or zip ties) are not UV stabilised. Get the black ones, they last heaps longer, or if you want something that really lasts, get the stainless steel ones... Probably more use if you are using some really big cables (like 20Kw RF coax) - but even the big black cable ties last OK for a good 7 years in the Australian sun - even in a sattelite dish for the LNB (close to the focal point).
Click to expand...


Sadly, some black zipties are absolute garbage. You can't rely on color alone.

It's going to be a matter of finding a type that was made like zipties from the early 90s, white or black.
 
liveforphysics said:
Sadly, some black zipties are absolute garbage. You can't rely on color alone.

It's going to be a matter of finding a type that was made like zipties from the early 90s, white or black.
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That is so true. We are ordering them 1k at a time and still find that they are shit. We have to use ones that are double thick as the old ones.
 
Really crappy,i get some once and a while from a engineer that works on ships,there hard to break even with vice grips.i will ask if he can get me a emty bag to get some info.but i did find amazing electrical tape pro 3m,ive never used it before the stuffs pretty damn good,ive used the same 2 pieces to hold my power wires in a line and 3 mnths later im still using them,i take them off daily to charge and stick them back on ive never had real electrical tape before :oops: .
 
I've started using velcro doohickeys for cable management.
 
liveforphysics said:
Zipties really have become crap lately. There was a time when a ziptie was something you could really trust to hold something pretty damn securely for many years. Now I snap them just installing them half the time, or they just become brittle and break in a matter of months.


The Zipties/cable ties you find on OEM vehicles are generally extremely strong and stay that way for many many years.

The packs I buy at homedepot are so bad I generally just throw them away to avoid a costly failure from using the damn things.
Click to expand...


I thought it was just me imagining things. Glad someone else has seen this too. Why are so many new things so low quality?
 
Like they always say... they don't make 'em like they used to...
 
Back in the sixties, the good duct tape was army surplus stuff. You couldn't get it in a regular store. Then over the years, the tape that was made got cheaper and cheaper till duct tape got useless.

But then along came gorilla tape, just like the old duct tape, good stick, thick stout cloth. :D

Now I'm waiting for gorilla zip ties. Sometimes i find a good batch, and go back and buy more from the same plie.

Meanwhile what do you do? For some things baling wire will do, but it rusts. Electric fence wire can be good, but it's thin and a bit brittle. For heavy duty stuff, I've taken to the thinner version of chain link fence wire. You have to buy a huge roll though. This is the wire that runs along the top or bottom of the fence, galvanized, and about coathanger thickness for the thinner guage.
 
auraslip said:
I've used a bunch, and they all seem to get brittle over time. Especially in cold weather
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Extreme cold doesn't help, I know.. but direct sunlight is most likely cause of plastic corrosion than cold, assuming you use quality zipties. On family outings, we park our bikes in the shade as much as possible and cover it from rain and snow and SUMMER SUN! At home, I keep our bikes inside except for the Precious Cargo Bike covered with a quality bike cover, (PCB name BTW was [correct me if I'm wrong] ripped off by Madsen cargo bike CORPORATION) point is, the PCB survived one Tokyo winter and the zipties, other plastics, as well as the Big Apples are still in good condish...Plus a cover will keep dust off even if the cover is flailing in the wind..dust BTW attracts moisture which causes rust, but some bikers think rust is in... :?

I think we bikey types are too macho to give our electro steeds a little TLC and would be too embarrassed to cover it with cheapy reflective bike cover from the dollar shop.... :lol: Oh and how are we to show off all of our genius rat's nest of wirings and duct tape, right? :D Of course... but the trade-off is really worth the effort IMO

Lastly, Armor All (or similar products) on all plastics, rubber and vinyl iz da shiz. Just don't get that stuff on your brake pads!

But if you love wasting money, give it a few months and you'll find impossibly expensive bicycle covers made by MADSEN... :evil:

EDIT: just had to thrown in a soundtrack :mrgreen:
[youtube]zU8osYJ7-Mg[/youtube]
 
zombiess said:
liveforphysics said:
Zipties really have become crap lately. There was a time when a ziptie was something you could really trust to hold something pretty damn securely for many years. Now I snap them just installing them half the time, or they just become brittle and break in a matter of months.


The Zipties/cable ties you find on OEM vehicles are generally extremely strong and stay that way for many many years.

The packs I buy at homedepot are so bad I generally just throw them away to avoid a costly failure from using the damn things.
Click to expand...


I thought it was just me imagining things. Glad someone else has seen this too. Why are so many new things so low quality?
Click to expand...
Yeah man, everything is being made to fail. I miss my '72 Datsun 510 Wagon, that thing was the UNDEAD, like the White Zombie! But even Japanese products have become "disposable" Corporation Greed is getting worse.We are being conditioned to take what we're given, not what we Human Beings really WANT. But they'll keep feeding us foder as long as we keep taking a bit of their sh!t sandwich, LOL! We are being DEVO'd but we can't blame it all on the manufacturers in China (but they'll fnck you given half the chance), it's really the mulitnationals who think Rip Off is the name of the game. :evil:
 
Here is what happens in large scale global capitalism: Somewhere along the line of the zip ties life, someone realizes that by saving $0.000001 per zip tie that he can afford a new sports car this year. This might be by using cheaper ingredients, having lax quality control, or not replacing/repairing the tooling. It doesn't really matter because given a long enough time frame it starts happening at every stage of production. Eventually every person with managerial control over the zip ties production has eeked out every cent they can, and we are left with a product that LOOKS like the original (and maybe is a bit cheaper too) but doesn't actually do the originals job as promised.

And the funny thing is that these "fake" products still move. Americans buy them, use them until they break, aren't surprised, and go out and buy another. We no longer expect quality, or care. This actually works out for places like wal-mart(and china) because every hard item in the store will need to be replaced every few years. If this is the end game of capitalism, it reminds me very much of the tales of soviet quality of goods.

In any case, it reminds me of a quote, "I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff."

Now, off to order some harbor freight tools.
 
auraslip said:
Here is what happens in large scale global capitalism: Somewhere along the line of the zip ties life, someone realizes that by saving $0.000001 per zip tie that he can afford a new sports car this year. This might be by using cheaper ingredients, having lax quality control, or not replacing/repairing the tooling. It doesn't really matter because given a long enough time frame it starts happening at every stage of production. Eventually every person with managerial control over the zip ties production has eeked out every cent they can, and we are left with a product that LOOKS like the original (and maybe is a bit cheaper too) but doesn't actually do the originals job as promised.

And the funny thing is that these "fake" products still move. Americans buy them, use them until they break, aren't surprised, and go out and buy another. We no longer expect quality, or care. This actually works out for places like wal-mart(and china) because every hard item in the store will need to be replaced every few years. If this is the end game of capitalism, it reminds me very much of the tales of soviet quality of goods.

In any case, it reminds me of a quote, "I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff."
.
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glad you agree!

"I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff." LOL PHUNNY ! I almost agreed but gospel like this only leads you to buying expensive products that suck anyway, like the Dr.Dre Headphones LOL
Dr Dre.jpg
I feel bad for my two nephews that fell for that $400 trap but I didn't have the heart to tell them they were the worst headphones I've ever heard...

As for harbor freight, I don't know anything about them. They might have quality products and services now, but as soon as as they get a loyal fanbase, greed will surely take over :|
 
Dee Jay said:
glad you agree!

"I'm too poor to buy cheap stuff." LOL PHUNNY ! I almost agreed but gospel like this only leads you to buying expensive products that suck anyway, like the Dr.Dre Headphones LOL
I feel bad for my two nephews that fell for that $400 trap but I didn't have the heart to tell them they were the worst headphones I've ever heard...

As for harbor freight, I don't know anything about them. They might have quality products and services now, but as soon as as they get a loyal fanbase, greed will surely take over :|
Click to expand...

Ouch, I've listened to those as well. Ended up going with a pair of $100 Sennheiser (a company that specializes in quality audio components) over the ear head phones instead because they sounded much much better ( I chose by sound, not by price and was ready to spend up to $400). Same goes with all the super expensive noise canceling headphones I tried.

So many things are being designed to fail because they are made with the cheapest possible components/ingredients for maximum profit as described. The products that are quality also seem to have gone way up in price vs the cheap stuff compared to 10 to 15 years ago. You can probably find an old school boom box/ghetto blaster from the 80's that still works perfect, but buy a brand new one and expect it to break in 5 years. Same goes for most electronic equipment.

I should stop ranting now... but I would like to find some quality zip ties and duct tape (I'll have to try the gorilla stuff).
 
Grainger has better zip ties but still not as good as they used to be

I agree with all said here Nothing but non serviceable crap these days! Hell these venders don't even give you an option to spend more for quality SAD !!!
 
Beats... lol. The monster of headphones. Pretty sure a $50 pair of cans from what ever music supply magazine I have lying around would be just as good. Not that anyone with out hours(years of hours) of experience mixing could tell the difference.
 
torqueon said:
Nothing but non serviceable crap these days! Hell these venders don't even give you an option to spend more for quality SAD !!!
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non serviceable products, EXACTLY. Nevermind that products are designed to fail ... engineers these days work very hard to design products that can't be fixed, or even hacked to be recycle and repurposed so you're forced to spend spend spend.
 
I would gladly pay no more than $200 for a truly roadworthy pair of headphones made with stainless steel hinges. Heck, I wouldn't care even if it doesn't fold or if it's a little heavier than plastic ones. It wouldn't be so hard to make. $50 of it is for the cost of high quality drivers because the last time I checked, there are no new technologies that significantly boost the quality of headphone drivers therefore there's really no such thing as a $400 headphone, even it features noise canceling. Recording studio monitors like the Yamaha active speakers, yes. But small drivers for headphones?? :lol: :lol: :lol: I mean, MSP3'si [correction, MSP5's] have individual high grade amps for each woofer and tweeter, and it's only $300 a pair. But $400 for headphones?

REALLY??

I don't even think so :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: been having some belly laughs watching disgruntled Dr. Dre Beats fanboys. I say fanboys because only fanboys would shell out ridiculous amounts of money for headphones without a thought...

It's not right to laugh at other people's misfortunes but what's funny to me are their brutally honest reactions on youtube. This is the best one so far, check it and laugh with me
[youtube]ynZlZXCA2dg[/youtube]

Something is seriously WRONG with the world we created for ourselves... :|
 
I need more money so I can get into the manufacturing game. There is a demand for quality products at an affordable price. I wonder if a website that sold only quality products (would take a while to find stuff and test it) would be profitable. Would be a lot of random things.
 
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